Feed-water regulator



No. 770,634. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904, L. B. FULTON.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1904.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

L Os B. FuLOrc/ N0 MODEL.

mhh

PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

L. B. FULTON.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No, 770,634. Patented september 2o, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS B. FULTON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAPLIN-FULTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,634, dated September 20, 1904.-.

Application filed April 4, 1904. Serial No. 201,496. (No model.)

T @ZZ 10710771/ t 777/00?! @0W/GWW' fied in boilers exposed to the elements, the col- Be it known that I, LOUIS B. FULTON, of umn of water actuating the diaphragm-valve Pittsburg,in the county ofAllegheny and State being at rest, freezing will occur in cold of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new weather, rendering the machine inoperative.

' 5 and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Reg- The object of the present invention is to ulators; and I do hereby declare the following overcome all of the above-noted objections and to be a full, clear, and exact description of the difliculties. This, briefly stated, is accominvention, such as will enable others skilled in plished by making the seating of the controlthe art to which it appertains to make and use ling-valve entirely independent of the boiler- Io the same. pressure-in other words, effecting the seating In feed-water regulators ofthe type employof such valve by the excess pressure in the feeding controlling-valves, the seating whereof in line. the feed-line is effected by boiler-pressure, The invention will be hereinafter fully set more or less serious difficulties are encounforth and particularly pointed out in the I5 tered under adverse conditions. Where there claims.

is a great variance in loads and Where there is In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 any great variance in the applied heat for shows the general outline of a feed-water regsteam production, as is found in boilers over ulator embodying my improved means as apheating-furnaces, there is always danger of plied to boilers. Fig. 2 is a view of portions zo flooding in the event of boiler-pressure dropof the pressure-pipe, parts thereof being in ping to any material extent, being thereby section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the insuflcient to effect the seating of the controlauxiliary or escape valve. Fig. 4 is a similing-valve; To avoid this, it has been sought lar view of the controlling-valve. Fig. shows in some instances to very'considerably enlarge in section the displacement body-casing and z5 the diaphragm of the controlling-valve; but the means for operating the auxiliary valve.

this necessarily increases the cost as well as As pointed out in my before-noted patent, making the valve quite cumbersome. Furthe controlling-valve 1 is positively seated and thermore, frequent operations of the controlunseated by pressures acting in opposite diling-valve have a tendency to vaporize the rections, one pressure medium being con- 3o condensation accumulating in the diaphragmtrolled by means operated by the water in a casing, allowinglive steam to come in contact trap-casing 2. This latter is connected at its with the diaphragm-rubber, such steam havtop and bottom by pipes 3 and 4: to the water ing a tendency to vulcanize and destroy the column 5, the internal displacement-body 6 8O latter. In feed-water regulators of this class, controlling the position of the lever 7, from 3 5 of which that shown in Letters Patent N o. which it is hung. When the water in the 662,488, issued to me November 27, 1900, is boiler falls suiflciently to uncoverpipe 3, an illustration, the mode of supplying` power steam will enter the trap-casing at the top and for closing the controlling-valve is to tap into a displace the water, the body 6 at once lower- 85 steam connection somewherepnear the steaming, and when sufficient water is supplied to 40 gage, so that the steam passing tothe actuatthe boiler to submerge the end of pipe 3 the ing-valve, at such times as it is allowed to do condensation of the entrapped steam will cause so under the ,automatic movement of the disthe water to again rise in the trap-casing and placement-body, will act directly upon the effect the raising of body 6. When the latter column of water of condensation bearing upon is lowered, its lever 7 unseats an auxiliary or 45 the diaphragm of the controlling-valve, and escape valve Pywhich is located in apressurethereby elfect the seating of the latter. In pipe 9, leading from the diaphragm-casing of addition to the diiliculties hereinbefore specithe controlling-valve to the top' of casing 2.

This latter valve is located, as shown, in the feed-line pipe 10, which opens into the boiler or boilers; but instead of being held to its seat by steam or boiler pressure I provide for the pressure in the feed-line acting against the diaphragm for that purpose. The pressure-pipe 9 is connected to the feed-line pipe 10 by a by-pipe 12, opening into the pressurepipe just above its connection to the diaphragm-casing, such connection being taken between the controlling-valve and the source of supply. Within this by-pipe is astricturenipple 13, and within a union 14 is a screen 15 to prevent sediment y from entering the stricture-nipple and interfering therewith. A globe-valve 16 may be used to cut olf communication to the diaphragm from the feedline pipe, as when repairs are necessary. The object of the stricture-nipple is to allow of a continuous circulation within the pressurepipe when the machine is operated to supply water to the boiler. The outlet of the auxiliary or escape valve is of greater size than the opening in the stricture-nipple, so that when such valve is unseated the diaphragm will be entirely relieved of pressure. The auxiliary valve is normally held to its seat by a spring .lever 7, the water from pipe 9 will escape through the outlet 18.

pressure on the diaphragm of the controllingvalve and allowing the latter to rise under the pressure of the feed-water coupled with the lifting-spring 19. While the controlling-` valve is so unseated and the boiler is being supplied with water, there will be a constant iow through pipe 9. The nipple is strictured to such an extent that the loss in heat units, escaping in the hot water and which escape keeps up the continuous circulation in the pressure-pipe, is considerably less than th'e amount of steam which is lost when the controlling-valve is 'held seated by steam-pressure as heretofore practiced. Thus Imaterially increase the efficiency of the machine.

From what has been said it will be seen that there are many advantages possessed by my invention over the means heretofore known and used, that by means thereof yall danger of freezing of the column of water in the pressurepipe is avoided, the diaphragm cannot be burned out or its usefulness impaired, land there is no danger of flooding the boiler, since the seating of the controlling-valve is entirely When, how-1 ever, this valve is unseated by the tilting of firosi independent of the boiler-pressure, being dependent entirely upon the excess pressure in the feed-line. If at any time the steam in the boilers falls to a lower pressure than that in the feed-line, the pressure on the diaphragm ofthe controlling-valve will be suflicient to instantly close the latter, and thereby cut off further supply of water to the boiler. It will also be noted that systems now in operation may at but slight cost be equipped with the present improvements, it being necessary only to cut olf the steam connection from the boiler to the auxiliary valve and connect up the bypipe between the pressure-pipe'and feed-line at a point between the controlling-valve and the source of supply.

I claim as my invention- 1. A feed-water regulator comprising acon- 'trolling-'valve located in the feed-line and seated and unseated by pressure in such feed-line acting in opposite-directions onsuch valve, and means, operated by the conditions in the boiler, for directly controlling the pressure acting in one direction lon such valve.

2. A feed-water regulator comprising a controlling-valve located in the feed-line, a pressure-pipe leading to such valve, a connection between the feed-line and such pressure-pipe, and means operated by the conditions in the boiler for relieving the pressure in said pres- 3. A feed-water regulator comprising a controlling-valve located in the feed-line and seated and unseated by pressure in such feedline, means for relieving the pressure acting in one direction on such valve, and means for actuating such latter means according to the conditions in the boiler.

4. A feed-water regulatorcomprising a controlling-valve located in the feed-line and seated and unseated by pressure in such feed-line acting in opposite directions, means actuated bythe conditions in the boiler for relieving the pressure acting in one direction on such controlling-valve, and means for allowing a continuous circulation, when the valve is unseated, of the waterlwhose pressure serves to seat such valve.

v5. A feed-water regulator comprisinga controlling-valve located in the feed-line, a pressure-pipe leading to such valve, a by-pipe con- -necting said feed-line to said pressure-pipe, an auxiliary valve in said pressure-pipe, and means actuated by the conditions in the boiler for relieving pressure in said pressure-pipe through Vsaid auxiliary valve, the water in such pressure-pipe being allowed/to circulate when so relieved.

6. A feed-water regulator comprising a controlling-valve located in the feed-line, a pressure-pipe leading to such valve, a by-pipe-con- -necti-ng said feed-line to said pressure-pipe, a stricture-nipple in such by-pipe, an auxiliary valve having an outlet of greater area than I sure-pipe, such pressure effecting the seating i of such controlling-valve. In pract1ce there 1s always an excess presi IOO IZO

the opening' of the stricture-nipple, and means actuated by the conditions in the boiler for operating said auxiliary valve.

7. A feed-Water regulator' comprising a controlling-valve located in the feed-line and having a diaphragm and casing therefor, a pressure-pipe opening into such casing above said diaphragm, a by-pipe connecting said feedline to said pressure-pipe, so that said controlling-valve will be normally7 held seated by the pressure in the feed-line, an auxiliary Valve in said pressure-pipe, and means for automatically unseating suc'h auxiliary Valve, according to the conditions in the boiler, for relieving pressure on said diaphragm.

8. The combination with the feed-line and the controlling-Valve having a diaphragm and LOUIS B. FULTON.

Vitnesses: I

D. A. REEKLEN, T. J. OBR. 

